A Summarized Report

By Doan Viet Hoat, Ph.D

Doan Viet Hoat was released from prison in Vietnam on September 1, 1998, midway through a 15-year sentence for publishing pro-democracy newsletters. He was set free under an amnesty program timed to coincide with Vietnam's national day, but was then immediately expelled from the country.

Clombian journalists have long been in a no-win situation. If they call for peace or for greater public participation in elections, they risk being targeted by guerrillas or paramilitary death squads. If they report on official corruption, they become targets of powerful political figures or their underworld partners.